Faldo fails to see improvement

Nick Faldo saw golf in a new light today – but it did not make him play any better.

Wearing glasses in a tournament for the first time in his life, the 46-year-old managed only a three over par 75 at the Deutsche Bank-SAP Open in Heidelberg.

It put Faldo near the rear of the field and left him needing a massive improvement to avoid suffering a third successive missed cut – something that has never happened to him in a European tour career totalling nearly 360 events and going all the way back to 1976.

“I’ve had the glasses for about a year, but it was only yesterday that I decided to go with them here,” said the six-time major winner, who has still to decide whether to enter the qualifying tournament for next month’s US Open.

“I spoke to my ‘putting and eyeballs man’ and he told me to try them. I’ve been really struggling to read the lines recently.

“For the first hour it was dreadful – like putting on top of a saucer – and although it’s feeling better now I didn’t hole a thing out there.

“I have a lot of work to do. Line, pace and stroke. Apart from all that I have really got it sussed!”

With his chances of a record 12th Ryder Cup cap fading fast – he decided not to campaign for the captaincy in the hope of playing but lies 70th in the points table – Faldo is even toying with the idea of switching to a long putter.

And that in spite of the fact that he agrees with Ernie Els that they should be banned.

“I’m amazed it’s not been done,” he commented. “You’d think it would be an easy one for the ruling body to say that you can’t anchor a club against your body.

“I think they left it as a sympathy vote for all those who were suffering, but now youngsters are going to them.

“I’m in the process of trying them, but have not got comfortable with one yet. Who knows? It might not be long.”

Also down on 75 today was Justin Rose, but that was mostly because of one hole - the 540-yard first.

Off a good drive Rose, who led the Masters for two days last month, blasted a three-wood out of bounds and his next two attempts went in the same direction, but stayed in.

The 23-year-old is making his first appearance in Europe this year and has a lot of catching up to do in the Ryder Cup race.